CVE-2020-1967: Openssl src Null Pointer Deference Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jq65-29v4-4x35
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-476
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-1967 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) null pointer deference vulnerability (CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference) affecting Openssl src libraries in the crates.io ecosystem. The issue involves null pointer deference in openssl-src. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 111.9.0.

CVE-2020-1967 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-1967
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jq65-29v4-4x35
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference
Affected Product Openssl src
Package Ecosystem crates.io
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2020-1967

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Openssl src dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

openssl-src fixed: 111.9.0 
Upgrade openssl-src to 111.9.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for openssl-src

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2020-1967, inspect your project dependencies for Openssl src:

inspect dependencies for openssl-src

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Openssl src in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 111.9.0), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference, where the product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is null. In Openssl src, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Server or client applications that call the SSL_check_chain() function during or after a TLS 1.3 handshake may crash due to a NULL pointer dereference as a result of incorrect handling of the "signature_algorithms_cert" TLS extension. The crash occurs if an invalid or unrecognised signature algorithm is received from the peer. This could be exploited by a malicious peer in a Denial of Service attack. OpenSSL version 1.1.1d, 1.1.1e, and 1.1.1f are affected by this issue. This issue did not affect OpenSSL versions prior to 1.1.1d. Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1g (Affected 1.1.1d-1.1.1f).

CVE-2020-1967 Affected Openssl src Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
111.9.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openssl-src
 crates.io
≥ 111.6.0
< 111.9.0
111.9.0

References

NVD — CVE-2020-1967 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-1967
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2021-10
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2020-11
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2020-04
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2020-03
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.synology.com/security/advisory/Synology_SA_20_05_OpenSSL
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.synology.com/security/advisory/Synology_SA_20_05
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2020.html
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.html
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html
www.openssl.org/news/secadv/2020042... WEB
https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv/20200421.txt
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4661
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200717-0004
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200424-0003
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202004-10
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://security.FreeBSD.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-20:11.openssl.asc
rustsec.org/advisories/rustsec-... WEB
https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2020-0015.html
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/XVEP3LAK4JSPRXFO4QF4GG2IVXADV3SO
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/EXDDAOWSAIEFQNBHWYE6PPYFV4QXGMCD
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DDHOAATPWJCXRNFMJ2SASDBBNU5RJONY
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9a41e3... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9a41e304992ce6aec6585a87842b4f2e692604f5c892c37e3b0587ee@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r94d6ac... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r94d6ac3f010a38fccf4f432b12180a13fa1cf303559bd805648c9064@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r66ea9c... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r66ea9c436da150683432db5fbc8beb8ae01886c6459ac30c2cea7345@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44440
Openssl src Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/irsl/CVE-2020-1967
git.openssl.org/gitweb/ WEB
https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git;a=commitdiff;h=eb563247aef3e83dda7679c43f9649270462e5b1
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-07/msg00004.html
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-07/msg00011.html
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157527/OpenSSL-signature_algorithms_cert-Denial-Of-Service.html
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020... WEB
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/May/5
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/04/22/2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-1967?
CVE-2020-1967 is a security vulnerability in Openssl src involving Null pointer deference in openssl-src under CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference.
Which Openssl src versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 111.9.0 across affected packages: openssl-src.
What version fixes CVE-2020-1967?
Upgrading to 111.9.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openssl-src affected?
Yes, openssl-src is affected in releases prior to 111.9.0. Upgrade your dependency to 111.9.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-1967?
CVE-2020-1967 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-1967?
CVE-2020-1967 is classified under CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference (The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.).
How can I check crates.io dependencies for CVE-2020-1967?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for openssl-src'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
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  "id" : "GHSA-jq65-29v4-4x35",
  "modified" : "2021-08-19T21:21:21Z",
  "published" : "2021-08-25T20:45:15Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-1967" ],
  "summary" : "Null pointer deference in openssl-src ",
  "details" : "Server or client applications that call the SSL_check_chain() function during or after a TLS 1.3 handshake may crash due to a NULL pointer dereference as a result of incorrect handling of the \"signature_algorithms_cert\" TLS extension. The crash occurs if an invalid or unrecognised signature algorithm is received from the peer. This could be exploited by a malicious peer in a Denial of Service attack. OpenSSL version 1.1.1d, 1.1.1e, and 1.1.1f are affected by this issue. This issue did not affect OpenSSL versions prior to 1.1.1d. Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1g (Affected 1.1.1d-1.1.1f).",
  "severity" : [ {
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    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2020.html"
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    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.html"
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    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv/20200421.txt"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4661"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200717-0004"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200424-0003"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202004-10"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.FreeBSD.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-20:11.openssl.asc"
  }, {
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    "url" : "https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2020-0015.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/XVEP3LAK4JSPRXFO4QF4GG2IVXADV3SO"
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  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-476" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
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    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-08-19T21:21:21Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-04-21T14:15:00Z"
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}